


Moments In the Woods

by carolinecrane



Series: down is where we came from [56]
Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-27
Updated: 2012-02-27
Packaged: 2017-10-31 19:59:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/347817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolinecrane/pseuds/carolinecrane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which there's hotel sex, discussion of the future, and <i>Into the Woods</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moments In the Woods

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JENGEORGE](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JENGEORGE/gifts).



They’ve been together almost two months now. And yeah, their relationship’s been on fast forward pretty much since the start, but Finn figures that’s okay, considering how long it took them to figure out how they feel about each other.

Well.

Considering how long it took _Finn_ to figure it out, anyway, and he feels bad about that -- he does -- but it’s not like Will was all that much help. Still, once they finally figured it out, things started moving pretty quickly, and Finn’s totally okay with that. Most of his stuff is at Will’s place now, and he helped out with the rent for the first time at the beginning of the month, which makes it their place, even if his name’s not on the lease.

Figgins knows about them, along with the rest of the teachers at McKinley, and it was a little weird at first, but people seemed to get used to the idea of them pretty quickly. Finn tells himself it’s not because Will was perving on him when he was still in high school, so they were all expecting this to happen eventually. But even if he was...well. Finn figures they’ve been important to each other for a long time, so it doesn’t really matter if other people could tell.

So they’ve been out together plenty of times, enough for them to feel comfortable touching in public or for Will to let Finn kiss him goodbye in his truck on the mornings the weather’s bad and Finn drives Will to work. But this is a little different; it’s the first time they’ve gone out of town together to do anything besides visit the occasional scrap yard in search of Camaro parts, and maybe that’s why Finn’s been a little on edge since they got in the car.

When Will suggested they make a weekend of their trip to Cincinnati to see _Into the Woods_ Finn had said yes without even thinking, because hello, it’s not like he’s going to turn down hotel sex with Will. He’s not going to turn down any chance to hang out with Will, which is why he said he’d go to Cincinnati even before they started dating.

Every time he imagines what this trip would have been like if they _hadn’t_ started dating Finn laughs. He’s not even sure why, because even before he kissed Will that first time it was never that awkward between them. At least not until Finn started wondering what would happen if he _did_ kiss Will, and that’s the thing, because if they were still pretending they were just friends, Finn would probably have spent the entire trip blushing and trying not to trip and accidentally make out with Will or something.

He laughs at the thought, and when the hand that’s wrapped around his tightens Finn turns away from the passenger window to glance at Will.

“What’s funny?”

“Nothing,” Finn says, but he’s still grinning like an idiot, so he figures he probably owes Will a better answer than that. “I was just wondering what this trip would have been like if we weren’t together.”

Will smiles then too, but it looks kind of sad, and Finn’s stomach sort of lurches like they just hit the bottom of the roller coaster. “There wouldn’t have been a hotel room involved, for one thing.”

Finn gets what he’s saying, and he gets why Will looks kind of sad all of a sudden. He’s not the smartest guy around, he knows that, but he knows _Will_ , and Finn can tell Will doesn’t really believe this thing between them is going to last.

Most of the time it’s okay; it’s better than okay, great even. Most of the time Will seems really _happy_ , happier than even back when he was still married to Terri and he hadn’t figured out how crazy she was. But every once in awhile Finn says something wrong and he gets that look, the one that Finn’s pretty sure means Will’s counting down the days until they’re over.

The first time it happened was the first morning Finn woke up in Will’s bed. At the time Finn figured Will was just bummed that Finn had to leave; Finn wasn’t exactly thrilled about it himself, and if it hadn’t been Christmas morning he would have called his mom and made some excuse so he could stay in bed with Will all day.

But it happened again on the first day of the semester, when Finn came home from work and told Will how much he hated his first improv class. He thought maybe Will was disappointed that Finn didn’t love it as much as Will expected him to, but when Finn dropped both his theater classes in the second week and announced that he was taking the semester off to work full time for Burt, he knew it wasn’t just the acting thing that was bothering Will.

That time Finn called him on it, but all Will would say was that he didn’t want to see Finn squander his potential. Like working at the shop wasn’t good enough for him or something. It was their first real fight, and even after the make-up sex he caught Will looking at him like he was waiting for Finn to disappear or something.

He’s looking at Finn like that now, and there’s a part of Finn that wants to point it out, even if it means starting another fight. But it’s their first overnight trip as a couple, and yeah, it’s just Cincinnati, but there’s still hotel sex to look forward to. So instead Finn just laughs again and squeezes Will’s hand before he lets go so Will can ease the Camaro off the highway.

“Well I guess it’s lucky we are together, then, because the hotel sex is the best part of the trip.”

Will smiles for real at that, and Finn figures that means at least he didn’t blow the whole weekend. A few minutes later they’re pulling up in front of the hotel, and Finn tries not to laugh at the look on the valet’s face when Will hands over the keys to the Camaro. It’s still not much to look at, but at least they managed to find a new door, even if it is a different color than the rest of the body.

He grabs their bags out of the trunk while Will deals with the valet, then they head inside to check in. And it’s not even the first time they’ve stayed in a hotel together, but it’s the first time they’ve shared a room, and it’s the first time they’ve traveled as a couple instead of as student and teacher. It’s kind of weird when Finn stops to think about it, but he’s not planning to point it out and make things tense again.

Instead Finn waits while Will checks them in and gets the key, then he follows Will to the elevators that will take them to their room. _Their_ room, and he should be used to it by now, but it still feels a little like they’re getting away with something. 

When they reach their floor and step off the elevator Finn reaches for Will’s hand, threading their fingers together and grinning as he pulls Will down the hall. 

“Are we in a hurry?” Will asks, but he picks up the pace, and when they reach their room he slides the key card into the lock and pushes the door open. He pushes Finn ahead of him into the room, letting the door swing shut behind them and sliding the key into his pocket. 

Finn pauses long enough to set their bags down and figure out where the bed is, then he catches Will’s hand again and tugs him in that direction. “Just figured we should make the most of our time.”

He stops when his calves collide with the mattress, hands on Will’s hips and leaning in to plant a soft kiss on his lips. And it’s only been a couple hours, but it feels like way too long when Will’s giving him that look again, the one that Finn’s pretty sure means he still can’t believe all this is for real.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go get some dinner first?” Will asks when Finn pushes his jacket off and reaches for the buttons on his shirt. And yeah, he could eat, but there’s only so much he can tell Will that he’s not planning on going anywhere, so Finn figures he’s going to have to show him he means it when he says he’s in this for the long haul.

“I’m sure,” Finn answers, murmuring the words against the bottom of Will’s jaw as he mouths his way toward Will’s neck. “Anyway, there’s always room service.”

“Room service is expensive,” Will answers, but he doesn’t make a move to stop Finn’s hands when they push his shirt off his shoulders.

“Yeah, but I’m working full time now. We can afford it.”

Finn pauses long enough to look at Will, waits for him to argue some more, not because Finn’s wrong, but because he knows it bugs Will that he’s working instead of taking classes. But they’ve been over this enough times now that there’s nothing more to say, so instead of arguing Will just plants his hands on Finn’s shoulders and shoves until Finn takes the hint and sits down hard on the edge of the bed.

He leans back on his hands to watch Will pull his shirt off the rest of the way, letting it fall to the floor with his jacket before he steps out of his shoes. He’s wearing jeans, and when Will reaches for his zipper and slides it down Finn runs his tongue along his bottom lip. He doesn’t even realize he’s doing it until Will smirks and tugs his undershirt up his stomach to reveal those perfect abs of his.

“And here I thought I was only getting one show this weekend.”

Will’s laugh is muffled by the cotton as he tugs the undershirt over his head, then he tosses it over his shoulder and grins at Finn. “Satisfaction guaranteed.”

“Good to know,” Finn says, leaning forward to reach out and slide a finger through Will’s belt loop. He tugs until Will takes a couple steps forward, then he runs his free hand along the warmth of Will’s bare skin just above his waistband. “How about a little audience participation?”

“And you claim to be bad at improvisation,” Will says, voice breaking a little when Finn leans forward to mouth his way along Will’s hip bone.

He laughs against Will’s skin and grips the sides of his jeans, pushing them down Will’s thighs until he’s separated from Finn by just a thin layer of cotton. His fingers skim along Will’s legs, over his boxer briefs and tracing the outline of his dick through the fabric. 

Will lets out a sound that goes straight to Finn’s own dick, and when he leans forward and presses his mouth to the damp spot at the front of Will’s underwear, Will moans and slides a hand into Finn’s hair. His grip tightens as Finn works his mouth along the length of Will’s cock, teasing until Will’s panting and tugging on his hair.

Finn takes the hint and hooks his thumbs into the sides of Will’s underwear, dragging them down to pool around his thighs with his jeans. As soon as Will’s cock is free Finn closes his mouth around it and swallows him down, humming around Will’s length before he pulls off and starts all over again.

Will’s murmuring his name over and over, fingers tracing Finn’s scalp and when Finn glances up Will’s staring down at him. His pupils are blown wide, lips parted and Finn has to reach down to press the heel of his palm against his own cock. His mouth’s still working up and down Will’s length, gazes locked and when he sees how close Will is Finn pulls off with a wet pop.

“Don’t come yet.”

Will lets out a shaky laugh, but he nods and scrambles out of the rest of his clothes while Finn stands up and starts pulling off his own. He kicks off his shoes and tugs his shirt off at the same time, getting tangled in the fabric for a second before he finally gets it over his head. Once he’s free he reaches for the button on his jeans, tugging them open and shoving them down his thighs along with his boxers.

He doesn’t bother taking his socks off before he climbs onto the mattress next to Will, hands braced on either side of Will’s shoulders and just looking for a second before he leans in and presses a soft kiss to Will’s lips.

“I love you,” he murmurs, doesn’t add _I’m not going anywhere_ even though he’s thinking it, because he doesn’t want to see that sad look on Will’s face any more tonight. All he wants is this, just the two of them, for the night and the weekend and the rest of their lives. 

Will’s hands leave his back to frame his face, and when Finn pulls back to look at him Will’s giving him that look like he can’t believe Finn’s really here. “Finn...”

Finn shakes his head and kisses Will again, slow and deep and thorough, just in case Will still needs some convincing. In case he’s still expecting Finn to leave someday, like there’s any chance of that happening.

Will’s hands slide into his hair again, stroking along his scalp and sending little shivers of want down Finn’s spine. He lets out a moan and thrusts against Will’s thigh, pushes a knee between Will’s legs and presses up until Will lets out an answering moan.

A hand slides down his back to cup his ass, pulling Finn even closer and when Will’s finger circles his opening Finn groans and thrusts forward even harder. He pushes back against Will’s hand, wishing he’d thought to dig out the lube before they got started so he wouldn’t have to stop kissing Will even long enough to find it. But there wasn’t much chance of him thinking straight while Will was standing in front of him pulling his clothes off, so technically it’s not Finn’s fault.

He laughs against Will’s lips, pressing one last kiss to the corner of his mouth before he pushes up onto his knees. “Don’t go anywhere.”

Before Will can answer Finn’s climbing off the bed, crossing the room to dig in his bag for the lube he stashed in his shaving kit. When he finds it he turns back to the bed, swallowing hard at the sight of Will propped up on his elbows to watch him, legs spread and one hand lazily stroking his cock.

Finn groans at the sight and crosses back to the bed, flipping open the lube and pouring some on his fingers before he reaches behind himself and presses two fingers inside. His eyes slide closed as he works his fingers in and out, and when a hand closes around his cock Finn bites his lip and rocks forward into Will’s grip.

“God, Finn,” Will murmurs, like he’s still half-expecting Finn to disappear. So Finn slides his fingers free and leans forward, hands on either side of Will and kissing him hard. He pushes Will back down onto the mattress, planting his knees on either side of Will’s hips and lining himself up to sink down onto Will’s cock.

When Will’s buried as deep as he can get Finn pauses, breathing deep once, then again before he pushes up onto his knees and then sinks down again. He sets a slow, steady pace, eyes open to watch Will’s face while Finn rides him.

Will’s hands are on his thighs, fingers flexing against his skin and leaving behind faint red marks. Finn knows they won’t last, but there’s a part of him that wishes they would. He wishes Will would leave behind a mark that Finn could see later, to remind him of this moment when Will’s not buried deep inside him.

He arches forward far enough to press their lips together, panting against Will’s mouth and when hands land on his hips to flip him onto his back Finn doesn’t put up a fight. Before he can react Will’s on his knees and pushing Finn’s knees up and apart, spreading him open and sliding back inside him, leaning forward to kiss him hard before he closes a hand around Finn’s cock to stroke him in time with the hard thrusts of Will’s hips.

He’s chanting Will’s name, rocking between his hand and his dick, hips moving more and more erratically until finally he arches up hard and comes in Will’s hand. Maybe he even blacks out for a few seconds, because when he opens his eyes again Will’s thrusting forward one last time and coming hard inside him.

When Will collapses on top of him Finn slides his arms around Will’s back, pulling him close and hooking a leg around his thigh to hold him there for as long as Will lets him. Finn feels the warm brush of lips against his neck, hot breath murmuring something he doesn’t quite catch and hands stroking along his sides.

“Hotel sex is _awesome_ ,” Finn says, grinning when Will laughs against his neck.

“Finn...” Will says, pushing up on one elbow to look down at him, and for a second he gets that sad look, the one that makes Finn’s stomach feel like it’s about to drop out of his body.

“Yeah?” Finn says, because if Will really wants to have this conversation he’d just as soon get it over with.

But instead of answering Will just shakes his head, then he leans in and presses a soft kiss to Finn’s lips. When he pulls back he’s smiling, warm and happy and this time Finn’s stomach flips the same way it does whenever Will says ‘I love you’.

Finn’s leaning up for another kiss when his stomach growls, and Will laughs and slides off him to stretch out on the mattress. “I guess we should have gotten dinner after all.”

“Nah, it was worth the wait,” Finn answers, leaning across Will to grab the room service menu off the bedside table. He drops it on Will’s chest and brushes a kiss across his cheek, then he climbs off the bed and heads for the bathroom to clean up the remnants of the lube.

“These prices are ridiculous,” Will calls over the sound of running water, and Finn rolls his eyes and shuts off the faucet. He climbs back onto the bed and stretches out next to Will, leaning close to read the menu over Will’s shoulder. 

“I told you, it’s on me.”

“This weekend is supposed to be my treat,” Will says, tilting his head back to watch Finn roll his eyes.

“What’s the difference? We’re together now, that means we split all the bills, right? Or did I miss something here?”

“Of course not,” Will answers, but he’s making that face like he’s thinking about launching into a lecture about Finn’s potential. He drops the menu on the mattress and shifts onto his side, pushing up on one elbow to frown at Finn. “It’s just...this break from school is temporary, Finn. You’ll be going back eventually, and I want you to save your money.”

They’ve had this conversation before too. It’s the one that usually leads to a fight, mostly because Will seems to think that he’s the reason Finn decided grad school wasn’t necessarily for him after all. And yeah, he’s part of it, but only because he’s part of every decision Finn makes now.

He’s pretty sure that’s how it’s supposed to work. That’s what his mom says, anyway, and he knows it’s part of the reason she’s so freaked out about the idea of him and Will. She thinks Will’s too old for him, that they’ve got different priorities or whatever, and he knows there’s a part of Will that agrees with her.

He said it from the first moment they got together, when Finn kissed him in his kitchen -- their kitchen now -- and Will said _I’m a lot older than you, Finn._ Like it makes some big difference that he’s got a few years on Finn, and okay, sometimes it does, but that doesn’t mean Finn doesn’t know what he wants.

He considers telling Will that he’s not going back to school, that he already talked to his advisor and figured out a plan to finish his teaching degree without taking any more classes. He thinks about mentioning the certification courses Burt wants him to take, the ones that will qualify him to work on the newer cars with computers instead of just doing basic stuff like changing oil.

But he doesn’t want to waste time arguing with Will about whether or not he’s throwing his life away, not tonight. Not when there’s room service and then more hotel sex, then maybe a little sleep before they wake up and start all over again. He doesn’t want to blow the weekend for Will, not when he’s been looking forward to the show since before Christmas.

So Finn just leans over him and picks up the room service menu, hand skimming Will’s hip for a second before he collapses back on the mattress and looks down at the menu. “So what do you feel like? The bacon cheeseburger looks good.”

Will rolls his eyes this time, but Finn’s pretty sure it’s got more to do with fat and cholesterol and what he calls Finn’s ‘freakish metabolism’ than the fact that Finn’s technically changing the subject. 

“Just get me the grilled chicken salad,” Will answers, then he swings his legs over the side of the bed and heads for the bathroom. Finn watches the muscles flex in his back as he goes, and when the bathroom door swings shut he shakes his head and reaches for the phone to order dinner.

~

They don’t get a lot of sleep that night. When Finn wakes up there’s sun pouring in through the window and Will’s sprawled on the mattress next to him, the sheet riding low over his hips and his chest rising and falling with each steady breath. 

For awhile Finn just watches him, the way his eyelashes kind of flutter against his cheeks and the way his lips are parted, just a little. He likes watching Will sleep; at first it felt a little creepy, but after the first few times Finn figured there was nothing wrong with admiring the view. And it’s a hell of a view, so Finn makes it a point to appreciate it as much as possible. He’s the only one who gets to see it, after all, and he’s not planning on that changing any time soon.

He reaches out to rest a hand on Will’s chest, fingers splayed on warm skin to feel Will’s heartbeat against his palm. He’s not trying to wake Will, but his eyes flutter open anyway, then he’s blinking and reaching up to cover Finn’s hand with his own.

“Morning.”

“I think it’s closer to afternoon,” Finn answers, grinning when Will lets out a groan.

“I think I’m officially too old for all-nighters.”

“Whatever, you’re not old,” Finn says, rolling his eyes and pushing up onto one elbow to look down at Will. “Besides, it was worth a little lost sleep, wasn’t it?”

“Ask me tonight when I’m falling asleep during the show,” Will groans, but he lets Finn pull him out of bed and drag him toward the bathroom. Finn starts the shower while Will brushes his teeth, then he steers Will under the spray and climbs in behind him.

Will’s arms slide around his waist, pulling Finn close and tilting his face up for a kiss. It’s soft and slow and pretty much perfect, and by the time he lets Finn up again he’s leaning back against the shower tiles with Finn pressed against him.

“Still tired?”

“I’m starting to wake up,” Will answers, hips thrusting up to prove his point. Finn grins and slides a hand down Will’s back to cup his ass, pulling him even closer as he grinds into Will.

“Good.”

Will laughs against his mouth, lips parted to let Finn in and his hands sliding up Finn’s back to knead at his shoulders. He rocks up into Finn, fingers chasing the drops of water running down Finn’s back.

He’s not sure how long they stay like that, letting the water run over them while they make out up against the shower wall. As far as Finn’s concerned they could do this all day, and Will doesn’t seem to have any objections either, because he’s not pushing for more. His hips are still moving, rocking slow against Finn and dragging little moans out of him whenever he hits just the right angle.

His tongue’s tracing Finn’s teeth, the taste of mint toothpaste and something sweeter making Finn chase the flavors with his own tongue. He touches every inch of Will he can reach, hands sliding along wet skin and dragging Will closer, closer and closer until they’re practically sharing the same space.

A leg wraps around his, Will’s foot digging into his calf and Finn parts his legs a little more and thrusts a little harder against him. It’s kind of frustrating, but he never wants it to end, so instead of pushing Will up against the tiles and just _taking_ , Finn lets him set the pace.

He buries his face in Will’s neck, sucking hard at the warm skin there, and Will gasps and thrusts a little harder against him. He whispers Finn’s name over and over, sort of breathing it near Finn’s ear like he doesn’t even know he’s saying it. Every time he does Finn’s heart does a somersault, and he pulls back to look at Will as he slides a hand between them to grip Will’s cock.

Will’s eyes slide closed when Finn touches him, but a second later he blinks them open again to watch Finn’s face while Will rocks up into his grip. He reaches up to slide a hand into Finn’s hair, fingers stroking along the shell of his ear and down his neck to drag him forward for another kiss. His other hand closes around Finn’s dick, matching each stroke of Finn’s own hand until they both come gasping against each other’s mouths.

Once their breathing evens out a little Finn kisses him again, then he reaches for the soap and washes them both off. The water’s still warm when they finally climb out of the shower to wrap thick hotel towels around their waists, and Finn’s not sure how the hotel manages to keep the hot water going that long, but he wishes the shower in their apartment had that kind of staying power.

Because he likes making out with Will in the shower until their skin starts to wrinkle, but he likes making out with Will in their bed just fine too, so maybe it doesn’t matter. The truth is he likes just about everything they do together, even the stuff they do with their clothes on.

He likes hanging out with Will, likes following him around Cincinnati while Will visits music stores to pick up new sheet music for Glee. He likes listening to Will sing the soundtrack for _Into the Woods_ under his breath the same way he’s been doing for the past three weeks, until Finn knows practically the whole thing by heart even though he still hasn’t seen the show.

By the time they get to the theater Will’s talked the show up so much that Finn’s not even sure why they’re bothering to see it. Will’s practically got the whole thing cast already, which technically isn’t fair, but he claims that Finn will be a perfect Jack, and that’s a pretty big part, so Finn’s not complaining.

At least it seems like a big part from the program, and when the curtain goes up and Jack’s one of the first characters introduced, Finn figures that’s a good sign. He’s also kind of an idiot, but then again, so are a lot of the other characters. The whole thing’s based on the stories his mom used to read to him from a giant book of fairy tales when he was a kid, and he wasn’t a big fan at the time, but it makes following the action of the show a lot easier.

When they get to intermission Will looks over at him, grinning like he directed the production himself instead of just buying the tickets. “So what do you think?”

Finn shrugs and glances around at the crowd as people file out of the theater in search of the bar or maybe a bathroom. “The music’s good, and there are a lot of singing parts. That’s always a plus. Do you really think we can come up with the money for the rights?”

Will shrugs and reaches over to rest a hand on Finn’s thigh. “If we can get the rest of the group excited about fundraising. What do you think about Jack?”

“It’s a big part,” Finn says, glancing toward the stage before he looks at Will again. “And let’s face it, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to play a dumb guy like that.”

“You’re not dumb, Finn,” Will answers, frowning at him again. “Jack’s not dumb either. He’s just...naive. And you’re a good enough actor to pull that off.”

Finn grins at him and starts to lean in, then he remembers where they are and pulls back again. Because it’s one thing for people to guess that they’re more than just friends, but he’s not sure how Will would feel if Finn kissed him in front of a theater full of strangers. Then again, Will’s the one with his hand on Finn’s thigh, so maybe he wouldn’t mind.

“Yeah, well, you never know who might come along before we come up with the money. Some other guy might try out and be a lot better than me.”

“I doubt it,” Will says, smirking and leaning a little closer, and Finn figures maybe he wouldn’t really mind the whole kissing in public thing after all. “Even if this theoretical guy is amazing, there are plenty of other good roles to be had. Besides, you’re pretty amazing yourself.”

It’s even more tempting to kiss Will now, but Finn doesn’t take the chance. Instead he just reaches down to cover the hand on his thigh with one of his own, fingers threaded together and squeezing before he answers. “Hey, as long as he doesn’t steal you, I don’t care if he steals my part.”

“Now that I can guarantee would never happen,” Will answers. He lifts their hands to his lips, brushing a kiss across Finn’s knuckles before he lets them fall to rest against Finn’s thigh again.

“Good. Then I only have one more request.”

“Oh?” Will asks, eyebrows raised and the corners of his mouth twitching like he’s trying not to smile. 

Finn grins and glances around again, then he leans close and drops his voice to a whisper. “Just don’t cast Angela as my mother.”

Will’s still laughing when the theater starts to fill up again, hand still wrapped around Finn’s and he doesn’t let go even when the house lights go down. And it doesn’t mean anything; they’ve held hands plenty of times in the past couple months, even once or twice out in public back in Lima. Still, Cincinnati isn’t Lima, and for some reason holding Will’s hand in a city where nobody knows them makes it feel a little more like this thing between them can last after all.

~

Once the curtain call ends and the house lights come up they file out of the theater with everyone else, Will’s hand on the small of Finn’s back like he can’t stop touching even now that they’re surrounded by strangers. When they reach the sidewalk Will steers him in the direction of the hotel, and once they’re away from the crowd Finn can hear that he’s still singing under his breath.

Like he doesn’t even know he’s doing it, and he probably doesn’t. This time it’s one of the songs from the end of the show, the one about how nobody’s ever really alone. Finn knows Will’s not trying to tell him anything; he just get random songs stuck in his head, and he can’t help singing along.

Still, it’s hard not to take it personally, considering. And maybe it’s partly Finn’s fault for not telling Will his plan to finish school as soon as he worked it out. Maybe if Will knows he’s not going to go away to grad school, he’ll start to get used to the idea that Finn’s not planning to ditch him. Not that Finn was ever planning to ditch him, but even he knows it’ll be a lot easier to keep a relationship going if they’re in the same town.

He thinks about suggesting they stop somewhere for a beer, mostly because he figures Will won’t start a fight if they’re in public. But it’s almost 11:00 when they get out of the theater, and they have to head back to Lima in the morning, so instead Finn follows Will back to the hotel and onto the elevator.

When they get back to their room Finn slides his coat off and drops it on a chair, then he sits down on the edge of the bed and watches Will moving around. He’s still humming the same song while he peels off first his coat, then his dorky sweater vest before he unbuttons his shirt and slides that off too.

Once he’s down to his pants and undershirt he disappears into the bathroom, and Finn hears the water come on and then the sound of Will brushing his teeth. He waits until he hears the water stop before he clears his throat and works up the nerve to break the silence.

“I swung by campus the other day. I talked to my advisor about next year.”

For a few seconds there’s no answer, but just when he starts to think that Will’s going to pretend he didn’t hear, he appears in the bathroom doorway in his khakis and undershirt. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” Finn says, swallowing against the sudden rush of butterflies in his stomach, because there’s no reason to be nervous. This is good news, at least as far as Finn’s concerned, and once Will really thinks it through he’ll probably see it Finn’s way. “I asked her about doing my student teaching in a shop class, and she says there’s no reason why I can’t.”

“Shop class? Like auto shop?”

“Yeah. I mean, it means McKinley’s out, but they have a shop program at Lima East, and I think there’s one at Catholic too.”

“So you’ve definitely decided against any more theater classes.”

Finn shrugs, glancing down at his hands where they’re folded in front of him so he won’t have to see the disappointment on Will’s face. “Yeah, I mean, I know you think I’m wasting my potential or whatever, but I’m just not that good at it, Will. Theater group is one thing; I’ve got you there to bounce ideas off of, but in class it’s just me and...well, you know.

“There are a couple certification courses Burt says I can take that will get me up to speed with some of the other guys at the shop, and once I’m done with my student teaching I’ll have my degree, so it’s not like it’ll be a total waste. He says if I want I can keep taking certifications, and eventually I can even teach some of those courses myself.”

Finn pauses long enough to look up at Will, his heart sinking at the sight of the frown that he’s pretty sure means Will hates the idea. “Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad, Finn,” Will says, crossing the room to sit down next to Finn. He presses their thighs together and reaches over to catch Finn’s hand in his own, thumb running across Finn’s nails where there’s still grease embedded no matter how hard he scrubs with the special soap his mom got him. “It’s just...are you sure this is what you want? To work in the shop full-time?”

“Yeah,” Finn answers without even thinking about it. Because the truth is that he’s good at it, and it’s the first time since Glee that he’s been good at anything that he really enjoys. “I’ll make decent money, and someday Burt will retire and hand over the shop to me. Kurt’s not going to want it, and this way he’s got somebody to leave it to.”

“Finn, I know how much having a father means to you, but you can’t sell your own dreams short just to make Burt happy.”

“I’m not,” Finn says, then he lets go of Will’s hand and stands up. “There’s nothing wrong with being a mechanic, Will. Besides, it means I get to stay here with you instead of going all the way to Columbus for school. That’s supposed to be a good thing.”

“Of course there’s nothing wrong with being a mechanic,” Will says, but his voice sounds funny, and Finn can’t tell if he means it or if he’s just saying what he thinks Finn wants to hear. “If anyone knows how talented you are in that arena, it’s me. But I don’t want you giving up on your dreams to stay in Lima because of me, Finn. There’s a big world out there.”

“Yeah, I know. And staying in Lima doesn’t mean we can’t ever see any of it. But I never wanted to leave, Will. Rachel and Kurt and Puck and all those guys, they all had big dreams, and they had to leave to make them happen. People have been trying to talk me into leaving since before I even graduated from high school, but I never wanted any of that. All I ever wanted was to meet the right person and be happy.” 

He pauses long enough to look at Will, letting out a heavy sigh when Will just stares back at him. “That’s you, in case you didn’t get that part.”

Will lets out a laugh that sounds kind of shaky. He’s still sitting on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees and when he looks down at the carpet Finn starts to wonder if maybe he’s got it wrong. Because Will loves him, he knows that, but that doesn’t mean he’s sold on the idea of forever. It doesn’t mean he’s positive he wants Finn and nobody else for the rest of his life, and if he’s not sure...well, Finn doesn’t know what happens then.

“You’re young, Finn,” Will finally says, and when he glances up this time he just looks tired.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that right now it seems like you know exactly what you want out of life, but you’re just starting out. A few months ago you were dead set on being a teacher. Now you’re talking about giving that up because of me, and I don’t want you to regret it someday. People change, Finn. In a few years...”

“In a few years I’ll still be in love with you,” Finn interrupts, and he doesn’t even care that Will’s staring at him like he’s never seen Finn before. “If you’re looking for an out, just dump me and get it over with, because I’m not doing it for you.”

“I don’t...Finn, I don’t want to break up. God, that’s the last thing I want. But I can’t ask you to commit to something this big until you’re sure it’s what you want.”

Finn takes a second to breathe, eyes closed and running his hands through his hair so he doesn’t lose it and punch Will just for being so stubborn. When he opens them again Will’s watching him, eyes wide like he’s scared maybe Finn’s about to tell him that he’s not sure after all. And maybe Finn’s not the smartest guy around, but Will can be kind of an idiot too when it comes to this stuff, and somehow that makes him feel a little better.

“Do you even know why I was thinking about being a teacher?”

Will opens his mouth, then he kind of frowns and closes it again. “I guess I don’t. But you’d be a great teacher, Finn. You’ve got a natural leadership quality, and you’re very good with people.”

“Thanks,” he says, “but the only reason I thought about it was because I couldn’t figure out what else to do with my life, and I kept thinking about you.”

“I’m not sure how to take that,” Will says, but he’s kind of smiling, so Finn figures he’s not that insulted.

“I didn’t mean it like that. I just...I kept thinking about you, and at first I figured it was because you were this big role model and maybe I should be thinking about teaching. But then I saw you again, and after that teaching was just an excuse to keep seeing you. I just wanted to be around you, only it took me a long time to figure out the real reason why.”

“It really did take you awhile,” Will says, but he’s grinning now, and Finn laughs and crosses the room to sit down next to him again.

“Just like it took me awhile to figure out what I’m good at,” he answers, reaching over and taking Will’s hand again. “So I’m a slow learner; you already knew that.”

Will lets out a soft laugh, his thumb moving in distracting little circles on the back of Finn’s hand. “But you’re a good actor, Finn, and you’re a great singer. I don’t want you to give that up because of me.”

“Who says I’m giving anything up? There’s still theater group, right? Anyway, the thing I always liked most about it was hanging out with you.” Finn grins when Will laughs again, then he turns on the mattress until he’s more or less facing Will. “Do you ever regret never taking a shot at Broadway?”

Will doesn’t answer right away, and Finn braces himself for the answer everybody figured on back in Glee; that Will settled for second best a long time ago, and he’s spent the rest of his life regretting it. They all figured that was why he pushed them so hard in Glee, why he got caught up in rivalries with other show choirs and lost focus on what it was supposed to be about.

“I used to,” Will finally answers, then he reaches up to rest his free hand on Finn’s cheek. “Not anymore.”

Finn nods and turns his head to brush a kiss against the inside of Will’s palm, then he takes a deep breath and looks at Will again. “That’s the thing. I never even wanted any of that. All I ever wanted was you.”

Technically it’s not exactly true. He hasn’t been pining for Will since high school or anything, no matter what Puck thinks. But even back then all he wanted was to find someone to love, somebody he could trust not to bail because their dreams were bigger than what Finn wanted. That was why he spent a long time assuming he’d end up with Quinn, but now that he knows what it’s like to _really_ love somebody, he’s just grateful he figured it out before it was too late.

“I love you, Finn,” Will says, thumb tracing the stubble along Finn’s jaw and sending distracting little shivers down his spine.

“Enough to come home to a grease monkey every day for the rest of your life?” Finn asks, grinning when Will nods and leans in. He brushes a kiss against Finn’s lips, but before Finn can push for more he’s pulling back again.

“Was that...a proposal?”

“Well I don’t have a ring or anything,” Finn says, his heart pounding loud enough that he’s pretty sure Will can hear it. “But I’m not making the same mistake Puck did, so I’m just putting it out there.”

“Duly noted,” Will answers, then he kisses Finn again, harder this time, and Finn figures that means it would be okay with Will if next time the subject came up, Finn did have a ring.


End file.
